Russia allows more VN seafood

A seafood processing line at Binh An Fishery Company in the Can Tho City. The company's products are exported primarily to the US, Japan and Russia. — VNA/VNS Photo Duy Khuong

HA NOI (VNS) — Russia has lifted a ban on seafood products from three more Vietnamese companies, raising the number of Vietnamese companies allowed to export seafood products to the European country to 10.

According to the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD), Russia's Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveilance Service has lifted its ban on the products of Anh Long Company, Seajoco Tan Phu Trung's Seafood Joint Stock Company No.1 and Frozen Factory AGF 9.

NAFIQAD officials said the ban was lifted after Russia confirmed that the companies' seafood products met its standards on food safety and hygiene.

Russia enforced the ban on the Vietnamese companies at the beginning of this year. Last month, it lifted the ban on seven of these companies, including five engaged in frozen tra fish and basa fish processing and two engaged in frozen shrimp processing.

Experts said the lifting of the ban would enable these companies to boost the country's seafood exports , as Russia was a large potential market for Viet Nam's fisheries products.

Russia's market potential increased after it imposed an embargo on imports from other European countries and turned to other trade partners to ensure an adequate food supply for its population of more than 140 million.

Truong Dinh Hoe, general secretary of the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said Vietnamese companies should be proactive about taking advantage of opportunities to boost seafood exports while paying attention to product quality to meet the safety standards of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

In the first seven months of this year, Viet Nam's export of seafood products to Russia reached US$36.2 million, representing an increase of 5.4 per cent over the same period last year.

The seafood export turnover is expected to increase rapidly in the remaining months of this year partly because of Russia's lifting of the ban on imports from the Vietnamese seafood companies. Last year, Viet Nam exported $103.3 million in fisheries products to Russia. — VNS